Through Stone and Sea
Wynn Hygeorht, Chane Andraso and Shade continue to look for clues regarding the Forgotten War and the scroll Chane took from the castle of the ancient vampire Li'kan. A partial translation of the scroll aided by Domin Il'Sanke reveals a poem regarding five orbs that were once in the possession of the ancient enemy Il'Samar and given to his thirteen "Children" to hide until his return. The poem gives cryptic hints that each orb represents one of the elements of existence and its possible whereabouts. After seeing the secret Stonewalkers being used to transport her texts undetected from the Guild of Sagecraft, Wynn's search next heads to Dhredze Seatt. The Wraith Sau'ilahk, having survived his battle against Wynn and the others continues to pursue her in hopes of getting the full translation of the ancient texts written by Volyno another of the "Children." Il'Samar prods Sau'ilahk on in his pursuit, manipulating him in his thoughts much like he urged Welstiel and Magiere on in their dreams. Wynn and Chane visit an old friend of Wynn's an elderly dwarf Shirvesh Mallet. Mallet lets them into the temple of Bedza'kenge "Feather-Tongue" one of the dwarven Baynae or Eternals. Wynn learns that Domin High-Tower the only dwarven member of her branch of the Guild once sought to become a Shirvesh. The dwarves find the sage way of "scribbling" useless making High-Tower unique for a dwarf. Wynn in her typical fashion to get answers lies to Shirvesh Mallet telling him that she is compiling a biography on Domin High-Tower and needs to know all about him, in reality so that she can discover his connection to the Stonewalkers and who exactly they are and any information regarding Baalale Seatt and the name Thalluhearag. Mallet tells her that he comes from the Yearclag-Iron-Braids-clan. At the name Thalluhearag, Mallet becomes uncooperative and angry. The name is obviously one that is not to be held in respect or even spoken of. It is here that Chane first becomes interested in the book he took from the monastary "The Seven Leaves of Life". Wynn and Chane next head to the dwarven city of Chemarre "Sea Side" in order to talk to members of the Iron-Braid clan. Sau'ilahk is revealed to be one of Il'Samar's Reverent, in fact he was actually the lead "Priest" of this group, one of three primary groups of the Enemy's powerful followers. These were the Reverant (priests), Children (vampires) and the Eaters of Silence (sorcerers). In looking for the Iron-Braids, Wynn and Chane move deeper into Sea Side and the greeting house (cheag'anakst)(tavern) Kinnebuay. Here they meet the great dwarven warrior Fiah'our, Hammer-Stag, and learn the way that Baynae are made. Dwarves tell of their heroic adventures over and over, speading their fame until they are held in enough esteem to be honored for all eternity. Hammer-Stag, a thanae, will not give anything for free. Dwarves are big into bartering and Wynn knowing they like to tell and listen to grande stories of adventures relates her adventure meeting the vampire Li'kan in exchange for a few words with him. Wynn also discovers that dwarven ale is too powerful for humans which makes her sick. Hammer-Stag tells Wynn that there are two Iron-Braids living in Sea Side, Skirra (Sliver in Numanese) and her mother Merange. Wynn and Chane go to the smithy ran by the Iron-Braids but find that Sliver is unwilling to talk about her brother High-Tower as she feels he turned his back on her and their mother. Wynn mentions the Stonewalker that visited High-Tower, his brother Meakesa, Ore-Locks, and discovered that Sliver holds him in an even lower regard and tosses Wynn out of the smithy. Sau'ilahk gets impatient with waiting for Wynn to find the Stone-Walkers so he kills Hammer-Stag in an effort to draw them out when they take his body to become part of the earth. Chane continues to kill behind Wynn's back while he allows her to believe that he is feeding on animal blood she brings him. Blood must come from a still living source in order to sustain an undead. Wynn deciphers one of the dwarven uubri she sees multipple times in connection to the others for "Baynae" finding it is Lhargnae, the Fallen-Ones. The Fallen-Ones are the opposite of the Eternals, dwarves so despised that they are placed in tombs cut off from becoming one with the earth. Mallet leads Wynn to the same gamble that Sau'ilahk is trying for in waiting for the Stone-Walkers to come take Hammer-Stag "into stone." Category:Book